Fractions and triangles

Fractions and triangles

Auto-markingPencil and paperOnline interactive
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Working with Students
Further Resources
This task is about working out the fraction of shapes that is shaded.

Question

4 pairs of triangle - 2 triangles shaded
 
a)  What fraction of the triangles above is shaded?

    • \(1 \over 2\)

    • \(1 \over 3\)

    • \(2 \over 6\)

    • \(1 \over 4\)

Question

4 pairs of triangle - 3 triangles shaded
 
b)  One more triangle was shaded. What fraction is shaded now?

    • \(3 \over 8\)

    • \(3 \over 4\)

    • \(3 \over 6\)

    • \(3 \over 3\)

Question

4 pairs of triangle - 4 triangles shaded
 
c)  Another triangle was shaded. What fraction is unshaded now?

    • \(1 \over 8\)

    • \(1 \over 3\)

    • \(1 \over 4\)

    • \(1 \over 2\)

Task administration: 
This task is completed with pencil and paper or online with auto-marking.
Level:
3
Curriculum info: 
Maths, Number and Algebra, Number Knowledge
Keywords: 
fractions, part-whole fractions
Description of task: 
Students identify the fraction that best describes the proportion of triangles that are shaded in.
Answers/responses: 
   

Y7 (11/1996)

Y8 (11/1996)
a) D [Accept E and 2/8] easy very easy
b) A easy easy
c) D [Accept E and 4/8] easy easy

NOTE: Choosing a) as 1/4 rather than 2/8 and c) as 1/2 rather than 4/8 may indicate the student has the beginnings of an understanding of equivalent fractions.
 

Teaching and learning: 
Adapting resources with multiple-choice (selected response) questions

Resources with multiple-choice (selected response) questions have a range of "distractor" answers which may reveal information about student's misunderstanding of the concept.  These distractors themselves can lead to further group discussion about "why" they are incorrect, or students can be asked why they gave this answer.  Subsequently, the resource can be adapted from a pen and paper resource to one that may support group or class discussion around the concept.  The selected response questions can also be adapted for predict, observe and explain POE or Concept Cartoon inquiry.  

Click on any of the links for further information about adapting multiple-choice (selected response) questions for group discussion.

Click on the link for further information about the Fractional thinking concept map: part-whole fractions.